#HTE

Hand Tool School #8: Working With the Wood Grain to Ensure Greatest Strength

(Note: You’ll see a shocking photo here of this thing called a tablesaw, which I used to use before switching over to hand tools. This old lesson here is important regardless of whether you use power or hand tools.)

I am adding a French foot to a Hepplewhite bookcase that I’m building for my wife’s voice studio. The key to making these is ensuring that the grain follows the curve of the foot so you get nice long-grain strength throughout. The problem is that the direction of that curve is nowhere near parallel to that of your average board. So I have to orient my pattern for that best grain relationship.

Set the pattern so that the grain follows the curve of the foot

I took my bevel gauge and set the angle needed to crosscut the individual feet blanks from the larger board.

Use a bevel gauge to match the angle

Then I used that bevel setting to position my miter gauge on the table saw.

Use the miter gauge to cut out French foot blanks

Finally, I have a blank cut to the exact height of the foot that still allows the grain to flow along with the curve. From here, I am free to miter the 45 degree corner referencing off this fresh edge. The inside edge will be cut on the bandsaw.

Now the grain will add strength to the feet

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